Rochester Roofing, Painting, Windows and Siding Contractors

Informative Video Blog

Phil — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:00:07 +0000

Informative Video Blog

Good Morning Community;
I know it has been a while since we have talked. I have been very busy recently with many projects. I have a reader who sent me some information that I found very interesting and I thought my readers may also enjoy viewing. This will contain a link in my blog that you may copy and paste into your browser to view the video.

I give credit for this information to Derek Singleton, ERP Market Analyst. In his note to me he explains “We recently interviewed Daryl Maronic, CEO of Dataforma. In the interview, Daryl explains which regions have the highest demand for roofing, how successful contractors are winning jobs and what technologies are in demand.” Thank you Derek for sharing!!!

I hope you all may find this as informative as I have. Here is the link you can copy and paste===> http://blog.softwareadvice.com/articles/construction/executive-interview-series-daryl-maronic-ceo-of-dataforma-1092211/
I also want to say thank you for being faithful followers of Highland Contractors. I would also invite anyone who finds information of this nature to send me a note I would be happy to give credit where credit is due!!!
I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.
Best Wishes!!

How Do I Find and Choose a Designer?

Phil — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:00:35 +0000

How Do I Find and Choose a Designer?
Good Morning Community; Today, let’s talk about choosing a designer for your kitchen or bathroom renovation. This the second part in our two part series.
The designer will ask some or all of the following questions:
• Where did you hear about us? Have you looked anywhere else?
• Have you designed/built/remodeled a kitchen before?
• Is your new kitchen part of a new construction project or is it a remodeling job?
• What does your kitchen look like now? What do you like and dislike about it?
• Do you have a sketched layout with measurements or an architectural blueprint of your existing or planned kitchen?
• What space and amenities do you need/want that you don’t currently have?
• What general style do you like—contemporary, traditional, or eclectic? What is the style of your home?
• What are some of the styles and products that you like, either in the showroom or that you’ve seen on the Internet, in publications, or elsewhere?
• Do you have an idea of how much you want to spend?
• When do you want the new kitchen to be ready?
You should ask:
• How long have you been in business?
• What kind of training do your designers have?
• What is your approach to the design process?
• Can I see pictures of kitchens you have designed? Better yet, actual kitchens?
• Can you provide me with references—names and contact information of prior clients?
• Which manufacturers do you represent?
• Can you do special orders? If you find a cabinet in a magazine or even another showroom that you have to have, would the firm be willing to work with you to coordinate that element with the others you select from its offerings?
• Do you specialize in any particular style, product, or material?
• How long is your project backlog—in other words, can we start working on my project now or will I have to get in line?
• What are your payment options? Do you offer financing? What is the payment schedule you expect?
I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.

How Do I Find and Choose a Designer?

Phil — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:00:32 +0000

How Do I Find and Choose a Designer?
Good Morning Community; Today, let’s talk about choosing a designer for your kitchen or bathroom renovation. This will be a two part series.
It’s a state-by-state listing of independent kitchen and bath design firms. You can visit the Web sites of firms near you to find out more about their services. Other good options include contacting the National Kitchen and Bath Association for a list of designers in your area or asking friends for recommendations. It may seem like a lot of effort, but when you consider the investment you’re making, doing it right the first time is a priority.
To first meet with a designer, you can either schedule an appointment or just drop by a showroom. In your initial consultation, the designer will gauge how seriously you want a new kitchen and how interested you are in his or her firm. The designer will also want to get a sense of the scope of the project you have planned, what styles and products you prefer, and how much you want to spend.
Ultimately, it’s a bit like dating: You and the designer must be a good fit. If you don’t trust the person you would be working with or if you feel the designer is condescending or doesn’t share your vision, look somewhere else. In addition, not every designer wants to take on every project—if you’re just looking for a counter-top or flooring, for example, the designer probably will refer you to a specialty showroom or contractor.
I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.

What You Need to Know Before Working With Professionals

Phil — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:00:41 +0000

What You Need to Know Before Working With Professionals
Good Morning Community; I would like to share some information today, what you should know before beginning work with professionals. I hope this information will prove valuable to you to save you some frustration when working with professionals.
With all the do-it-yourself hype surrounding home design projects, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement, grab your sledgehammer and tear out the old cabinets—all before your favorite home improvement show cuts to commercial.
But what happens behind the scenes—the meticulous planning that skilled professionals put into these projects—may be more than you bargained for. Consider hiring a professional to do some of the grunt work for you, but first get to know a few basics about designers and contractors:
• A designer will take the hard work out of planning your kitchen while you have as much creative input as you want. You still get to dream your kitchen dream, but the designer guides you along the way, maintaining your budget, keeping the project to schedule and taking care of logistics.
• If you’re going to hire a contractor, know where to look. Starting with your friends and family’s recommendations is one way to find a reliable contractor. You can also check out the Better Business Bureau for a thorough background check on the contractor you’re considering.
• Expect to pay a fee of $50 to $150 per hour or a retainer of $300 to $5,000 per job. Often the designer’s payment will be taken off the total cost of the job if you end up buying your new kitchen from him or her.
• The best way to get to know your professional is seeing his or her work. Remodeled home tours are becoming more and more popular and provide great access to see the fine details of potential professionals.
I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen-

Phil — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:00:57 +0000

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen- Part 6 of 6
Good Morning Community; Today, I would like to continue a six part series on how to get a better kitchen. I hope you are enjoying this series on Thirty-One ways to a better kitchen.
26. Counter-top Edges: Specify clipped or round corners rather than sharp edges.
27. Storage: The total shelf/drawer frontage is: 1,400 inches for a small kitchen (150 square feet or less); 1,700 inches for a medium kitchen (151 to 350 square feet); and 2,000 inches for a large kitchen (351 square feet or more).
28. Storage at Cleanup/Prep Sink: Of the total recommended shelf/drawer frontage, the following should be located within 72 inches of the center-line of the main cleanup/prep sink: at least 400 inches for a small kitchen; at least 480 inches for a medium kitchen; and at least 560 inches for a large kitchen.
29. Corner Cabinet Storage: At least one corner cabinet should include a functional storage device. This does not apply if there are no corner cabinets.
30. Electrical Receptacles: GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) protection is required on all receptacles servicing counter-top surfaces.
31. Lighting: Every work surface should be well-illuminated by appropriate task lighting.
I anticipate that you enjoyed this series on how to get a better kitchen. I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen-

Phil — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:00:26 +0000

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen- Part 5 of 6

Good Morning Community; I hope you all had a terrific Labor Day Holiday. Now it is back to work for us here at Highland Contractors. LOL!!!! Today, I would like to continue a six part series on how to get a better kitchen. I hope you are enjoying this series on Thirty-One ways to a better kitchen.

21. Microwave Oven Placement: The ideal location for the bottom of the microwave is 3 inches below the principle user’s shoulder but no more than 54 inches above the floor. If the microwave is below the countertop the bottom must be at least 15 inches off the finished floor.
22. Microwave Landing Area: Provide at least a 15-inch landing area above, below or adjacent to the handle side of a microwave.
23. Oven Landing Area: Include at least a 15-inch landing area next to or above the oven. At least a 15-inch landing area not more than 48 inches across from the oven is acceptable if the appliance does not open into a walkway.
24. Combining Landing Areas: If two landing areas are adjacent, determine a new minimum by taking the longer of the two landing area requirements and adding 12 inches.
25. Countertop Space: A total of 158 inches of countertop frontage, 24 inches deep, with at least 15 inches of clearance above, is needed to accommodate all uses.
Tomorrow will be the last in this series on how to get a better kitchen. I trust you have enjoyed this series as much as I have bringing it to you. I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen-

Phil — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:00:46 +0000

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen- Part 4 of 6
Good Morning Community; Today, I would like to continue a six part series on how to get a better kitchen. I hope you are enjoying this series on Thirty-One ways to a better kitchen.
16. Refrigerator Landing Area: Include at least 15 inches of landing area on the handle side of the refrigerator or 15 inches of landing area on either side of a side-by-side refrigerator or 15 inches of landing area no more than 48 inches across from the front of the refrigerator or 15 inches of landing area above or adjacent to any under-counter refrigeration appliance.
17. Cooking Surface Landing Area: Include a minimum of 12 inches of landing area on one side of a cooking surface and 15 inches on the other side. In an island or peninsula, the counter-top should also extended a minimum of 9 inches behind the cooking surface.
18. Cooking Surface Clearance: Allow 24 inches of clearance between the cooking surface and a protected noncombustible surface [ex: a range hood] above it. At least 30 inches of clearance is required between the cooking surface and an unprotected/combustible surface [ex: cabinetry] above it. If a microwave hood is used, then the manufacturer’s specifications should be followed.
19. Cooking Surface Ventilation: Provide a correctly sized, ducted ventilation system for all cooking surface appliances; the recommended minimum is 150 CFM.
20. Cooking Surface Safety: Do not locate the cooking surface under an operable window. Window treatments above the cooking surface should not use flammable materials. A fire extinguisher should be located near the exit of the kitchen away from cooking equipment.
This series will be continued tomorrow. I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen-

Phil — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:00:40 +0000

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen- Part 3 of 6
Good Morning Community; Today, I would like to continue a six part series on how to get a better kitchen. I hope you are enjoying this series on Thirty-One ways to a better kitchen.
11. Cleanup/Prep Sink Landing Area: Include at least a 24-inch-wide landing area to one side of the sink and at least an18-inch-wide landing area on the other side.
12. Preparation/Work Area: Include a section of continuous counter-top at least 36 inches wide and 24 inches deep immediately next to a sink.
13. Dishwasher Placement: Locate nearest edge of the primary dishwasher within 36 inches of the nearest edge of a sink. Provide at least 21 inches of standing space between the edge of the dishwasher and counter-top frontage, appliances and/or cabinets placed at a right angle to the dishwasher.
14. Waste Receptacles: Include at least two waste receptacles. Locate one near the sink(s) and a second for recycling in the kitchen or nearby.
15. Auxiliary Sink: At least 3 inches of counter-top frontage should be provided on one side of the auxiliary sink and 18 inches on the other side.
This series will be continued tomorrow. I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen-

Phil — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:00:15 +0000

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen- Part 2 of 6
Good Morning Community; Today, I would like to continue a six part series on how to get a better kitchen. I hope you are enjoying this series on Thirty-One ways to a better kitchen.
6. Work Aisle: The width of a work aisle should be at least 42 inches for one cook and at least 48 inches for multiple cooks.
7. Walkway: The width of a walkway should be at least 36 inches.
8. Traffic Clearance at Seating: In a seating area where no traffic passes behind a seated diner, allow 32 inches of clearance from the counter/table edge to any wall or other obstruction behind the seating area. If traffic passes behind the seated diner, allow at least 36 inches to edge past or at least 44 inches to walk past.
9. Seating Clearance: Kitchen seating areas should incorporate at least the following clearances: At 30-inch-high tables/counters, allow a 24-inch-wide by 18-inch-deep knee space for each seated diner. At 36-inch-high counters, allow a 24-inch-wide by 15-inch-deep knee space. At 42-inch-high counters, allow a 24-inch-wide by 12-inch-deep knee space.
10. Cleanup/Prep Sink Placement: If a kitchen has only one sink, locate it adjacent to or across from the cooking surface and refrigerator.
This series will be continued tomorrow. I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen-

Phil — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:00:52 +0000

Thirty-One Ways to a Better Kitchen- Part 1 of 6
Good Morning Community; Today, I would like to start a six part series on how to get a better kitchen. This I believe is going to be a fun series to talk about.
No one wants a brand-new kitchen with appliance doors that bump into cabinet doors or an island so close to the wall that it can’t be used for dining. Good space planning will help you develop the best layout for your kitchen, so take the time to read this condensed version of the NKBA guidelines.

Designed to maximize safety and functionality in home kitchens, the guidelines represent ideal layout solutions to kitchen concerns from storage space to door clearance. Don’t fret if budget limitations and the constraints of an existing kitchen require some compromises and tradeoffs: The only rules you must follow are building codes.

1. Door/Entry: A doorway should be at least 32 inches wide.

2. Door Interference: No entry door should interfere with appliances, nor should appliance doors interfere with one another.

3. Distance between Work Centers: In a kitchen with three work centers*, the sum of the distances between them should total no more than 26 feet. No leg of the work triangle should measure less than 4 feet nor more than 9 feet. When the kitchen includes additional work centers, each additional distance should measure no less than 4 feet nor more than 9 feet. No work triangle leg should intersect an island or peninsula by more than 12 inches.

* The distances between the three primary work centers (cooking, cleanup/prep and refrigeration) form a work triangle.

4. Separating Work Centers: A full-height, full-depth, tall obstacle [i.e. a pantry cabinet or refrigerator] should not separate two primary work centers.

5. Work Triangle Traffic: No major traffic patterns should cross through the work triangle.

This series will be continued tomorrow. I hope you may want to contact us and see for yourself how Highland Contractors may offer you a solution for your home improvement projects. That is what makes us Rochester’s Best Contractor. Let us help you.